Centrifugal liquid-separator.



M. L. HOYT'.

CBNTRIFUGAL LIQUID SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OQT Z5. ).9094

1,121,364. Patented Deo.15,1914.

VME MORRIS PEYERS 1:0,PHoO 11H0 WASH` m. A

M. L. HOYT.

CBNTRIPUGAL LIQUID SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 001225, 1909.

Patented Dec. 15. 1914.

4 SHEETS--SHEBT 2.

M. L. HOYT.

CENTRIFUGAL LIQUID SBPARATOR.

APPLICATION PILED 061225.19051A Patented Deo. 15, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

tHE NURRIS PETERS Co v Pr-lcoirrno. WASH/rvr,

M. L. HOYT.

CENTRI'FUGAL LIQUID SBPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 001225, 1909.

1,121,364. Patented Dec. 15,1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

f7@ ven 07".

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHEW L. HOYT, OF LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK. ASSIGNOR TO D. I-I. BURRELL & COMPANY, 0F LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK.

CENTRIFUGAL LIQUID-SEPARATOR.

Application filed Gotober 25, 1909.

To all lzU/om t may concern Beit known that I, MATTHEW L. Hov'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Little Falls, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Centrifugal Liquid-Separators, of which the following is a specification.

This Y invention relates to centrifugal liquid or cream separators of that class in which the separating bowl 0r drum is mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft or spindle which is rotated by a hand crank or by a pulley and drive mechanism connecting the crank shaft to the spindle.

In hand-operated separators it is very desirable to locate the crank shaft at the height at which it can be most easily 0perated by the average person without stooping, which has been found in practice to be about thirty-four inches from the floor, and it is also desirable to so locate the milk supply can ortank that its top is at a convenient height, generally considered to be about waist high, for pouring the milk into it from pails, while the separating bowl, which must be below the milk tank, should be high enough for the cream and skimmilk pans, which are arranged over the bowl, to discharge directly into milk cans of standard size resting on the floor, the height of such cans being about twenty-three inches.

The objects of this invention are to produce a simple and efficient separator of large capacity in which these results are attained: in which the drive mechanism is inclosed in a supporting frame or casing of symmetrical and attractive appearance; in which the drive mechanism is constructed so that it will run smoothly and noiselessly and can be operated with little exertion to drive the bowl at the required high speed; in which the frame or casing is so constructed as to reduce the expense of casting and machining it and so that it can be readily opened to expose the working parts of the separator in operative position, and which possesses other desirable qualities, as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of four sheets: Figure l is a perspective view of the improved separator. Fig. Q is a sectional elevation of the separator in the plane of the crank shaft. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the separator with the back Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Serial No. 524.293.

plate of the frame or casing removed. Fig. 4c is a detached perspective view of the upper bearing bracket for the intermediate shaft. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the back plate of the casing. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the separator at right angles to the crank shaft. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section in line 7-7, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the spindle and adjacent parts, viewed from the right in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 Vis a vertical section of the lower portion of the spindle and its pinion. Fig. 10 is a Vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of the lower portion of the intermediate shaft and its bearing. Fig. 1l is a top plan view of the separator with the milk supply tank partly broken away. Fig. l2 is a top plan view of the gearing thereof below the crank shaft, partly in section.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

The stationary frame or casing of the separator is, for convenience Ain manufacture, preferably composed, as shown in the drawings, of three separate principal sections or parts/.Ya base or pedestal A, a hollow upper section or body B in which the drive mechanism for the bowl is mounted and housed, and an intermediate section C which is arranged between the base and body sections.

The hollow body B preferably comprises an enlarged round lower portion 20 and a contracted four-sided upright portion or column 21 rising therefrom. This body is provided with a removable upright back plate 22 which is detachably secured by screws or other fastenings to the open rear side of the stationary part of the body. At the rear sideV of the upper end of the contracted or column portion of the body is provided an upright circular head 24 having a rearwardly projecting peripheral Y flange 25.

The central section C of the frame may be constructed and secured to the base and body in any suitable manner, but it is preferably provided with a laterally-extending. flanged annular plate 26 which forms a drip or catch pan for oil and is provided at one side with a hole 27, Fig. G, through which the liquid drains into a receptacle (not shown).

D represents a cylindrical, open-top shell which forms a case for the separating bowl. This bowl case is detachably secured, by screws 28 or other fastenings, on a horizontal seat 29 forming the top of an enlargement 30 on one side of the round lower portion 2O of the casing, and this bowl case is preferably provided with a cylindrical neck 31 which extends down into an opening in the seat, Fig. 6.

E represents the separating bowl or drum which may be of any suitable construction and is located in the bowl case and, as usual, is mounted on the upper end of an upright spindle 32 which extends down through the neck 31 of the bowl case and is `iournaled in an upper bearing 33 and a lower bearing or bushing 34 of any suitable construction. The inclosing casing of the upper bearing is removably seated in a socket 35 in the bottom of the bowl case so that the casing and bearing can be readily taken out when the bowl is removed from the bowl case. The lower bearing or bushing may be mounted in the frame in any suitable manner, for instance, as shown, it

may be seated in a socket 36 which is secured by a screw 3T in an opening in the bottom of the hollow frame body B.

The milk supply can or tank 38 shown in Fig. 1 and indicated by broken lines in Figs. 2 and 3, is supported by a bracket 38 of any suitable construction which is secured to the upper end of the frame body B. 7With the bowl and supply tank thus arranged the latteris located so as to discharge by gravity into the bowl and yet so that its top is about waist high to the average person, thereby enabling the milk to be easily poured into it from pails. while the cream and skimmilk pans 39 and 40, Fig. 1, which are supported on the bowl case over the bowl in the usual way, are located at the proper height to discharge directly into a milk can of standard size resting on the floor. This is a decided advantage, particularly in separators of large capacity, over those in which the bowl is so low that the cream and skimmilk have to be received in pails and poured into the milk cans.

The drive mechanism for the bowl is constructed as follows: 41 represents a horizontal crank shaft which extends fore and aft of the separator frame on one side of the bowl spindle frame and is arranged at the proper height for operation by the average person without stooping, which has been found in practice to be about thirty-four inches from the floor. The crank shaft eX- tends centrally through the flanged circular head 24 of the frame and is journaled in bearings 42` at the upper end of the frame body B and has secured to its rear end a bevel gear wheel 43. The latter meshes with a bevel pinion 44 on the upper end of an intermediate shaft 45 arranged in the hollow bodyy B and provided near its lower end with a spur gear wheel 46 which meshes with a spiral pinion or worm 47 on the lower portion of the bowl spindle.

The bevel gear wheel 43 is arranged within the fiange 25 of the circular head 24 at the upper end of the body B with the teeth of the wheel facing forwardly so that the solid back of the wheel closes the housing, whereby this wheel and the pinion 44 which is located in front of the wheel 42 within the hollow body, are effectually inclosed and protected.

'.lhe intermediate shaft 45 is arranged in a substantially upright position but is inclined at a small angle to the vertical in the axial plane of the lcrank shaft, preferably about eight degrees, and stands with its lower end nearer the front side of the casing than with its upper end, as most clearly shown in Fig. 2. The axes of the intermediate shaft and of the bowl spindle, therefore, stand at an acute angle .to each other and the plane of the spur wheel 46 stands at a corresponding angle to the plane of the pinion 4T on the spindle 32, the spur'wheel being arranged obliquely across the faceV of` the pinion, as most clearly shown'in Figs. 3, 6 and 3. rFhe inclined arrangement of the intermediate shaft is such that the driving wheel 43 and its housing 24, 25, can be so arranged with reference to the bowl and bowl case, as represented in Figs. 11 and 12, that the wheel and housing do not interfere with the insertion and removal of the bowl, (shown by a dotted circle in Fig. 12) while this driving gear wheel 43 and the lower spur gear 46 are of such diameters as to produce the desired high speed of the bowl without requiring in the gear train an eX- cessively large wheel which would be difficult to house, the whole arrangement producing a very compact and convenient and atl the same time noiseless and smooth running driving mechanism. The intermediate shaft is preferably journaled near its upper end in a bearing 48 and at its lower end in a bearing 49. The upper bearing 48, which may be a ball bearing or not, as desired, is preferably held inV a block 50, Figs. 2-4, which is secured by screws or otherwise to the flat rear face ofthe upright portion 21V of the body B above the back plate thereof. The lower bearing 49, Figs. 2, 6, and 10, is preferablyspherical or otherwise constructed to adjust itself to the position ofthe intermediate shaft and has, as shown, a semispherical underside by which it is movably seated in a corresponding cavity in a socket or bushing which is secured by a screw 52 in a vertical opening in the bottom of the hollow body B. The `lower bearing can thusk adapt itself automatically to the inclination of the intermediate shaft, whose position is determined bythe upper bearing, and no care has to be exercised to have the two bearings alined. The supporting block for the upper bearing is the only part which has to be bored at an inclination, and as this is a small piece it can be readily handled in a jig, whereas it would be a much more diiiicult operation to bore bearing holes at an inclination in the main body of the frame. Notwithstanding that the intermediate shaft is inclined, all of the work on the main body casting is rectangular. the holes for the several bearings being either parallel with or at right angles to the planed rear side of the casting which thus constitutes a working base or face for the rest of the work.

The teeth of the spiral pinion 47 on the bowl spindle are cut at an angle to the vertical, corresponding to the inclination of the intermediate shaft 45 which permits a spur gear to be used as the large wheel 46 on the intermediate shaft which meshes with the spindle pinion. rI "his is advantageous because as the axes of the spur gear and pinion are at an angle to each other the teeth-of the spur gear have a drawing or sliding action on the teeth of the pinion which causes these gears to run more smoothly and with less noise Vthan if the intermediate shaft and spindle were parallel and connected by either spur gears or spiral gears. Furthermore, as a spur gear is cheaper to cut than a spiral gear, there is a considerable saving in cutting the gear wheel 46 which is the largest gear in the drive mechanism and consequently has the largest number of teeth.

A clutch of any usual or suitable sort is employed between the gear wheel 46 and its shaft 45 to allow the rotation of the bowl to continue when the crank shaft is stopped during the operation of the separator.

The spiral pinion 47 for the bowl spindle is preferably cut on a spindle extension 58, Fig. 9, which is separate from the main portion of the spindle and has a tapered shank 59 provided with a screw-threaded extremity (30. The lower portion of the spindle is provided with a bore for the reception of the tapered shank and screw-thread ed end of the extension. By making this pinion of a separate piece better material can be used for the pinion than for the spindle, and a pinion of smaller diameter having liner teeth can be used than when the pinion is cut on the spindle, whereby the necessary gear reduction in the drive mechanism is obtained without resorting to large and ungainly gears, or an extra set of gears.

62, Fig. 3, represents a tubular guard or guide which is arranged within the body B of the frame and surrounds the bowl spindle. This guard has a bore of slightly larger diameter than the spindle so as to permit of a limited lateral play of the spindle in the self-centering action of the spindle. This guard is removably seated in the neck of the bowl case, having a flange at its upper end by which it is supported and extending' downwardly into the round lower part of the body B. In placing the bowl and spindle in position the guard guides the lower end of the spindle into the lower bearing and prevents injury to the spiral pinion ou the spindle by striking the gear wheel 4G.

By the described construction of the hollow body and of the drive mechanism the herein described advantages are secured, while at the same time the drive mechanism is effectually housed in a casing of symmetrical shape and attractive appearance without un* sightly parts projecting at an angle from the frame, and the running parts can be readily exposed for examination in their operative position by simply removing the back plate of the hollow body.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a centrifugal liquid separator, the combination with the supporting frame, the separating bowl, and the drive mechanism for the bowl including an inclined intermediate shaft, of an inclined bearing for one end of said inclined shaft consisting of a separate part secured to said frame, and a bearing for the other end of said shaft movably mounted on the frame to automatically adjust itself to said other bearing, substantially' as set forth.

Q. In a centrifugal liquid separator, the combination with the supporting frame, the separating bowl, and the drive mechanism for the bowl including an inclined intermediate shaft, of a detachable block secured to the frame and carrying an inclined bearing for one end of said inclined shaft, and a bearing for the other end of said shaft lnovably arranged in a spherical seat on the frame, substantially as set forth.

3. In a centrifugal liquid separator, the combination with the supporting frame having a hollow body, the separating bowl, and the drive mechanism foi` the bowl including an intermediate shaft located in the hollow body, of a detachable block secured to the frame. and supporting an inclined bearing in the hollow body for one end of said inclined shaft, a self-adjusting bearing for the other end of said shaft, and a socket secured in said hollow body and having a spherical seat in which said self-adjusting bearing rests, substantially as set forth.

4. In a centrifugal liquid separator, the combination with the separating bowl, the bowl spindle provided with a gear pinion, separated bearings in which the spindle is removably journaled, and drive mechanism including a gear wheel which meshes with said spindle pinion, of a removable tubular guard in which the spindle is loosely arranged and which guides the spindle into #wi o.,

operative engagement with Seid gear Wheel whenl inserting the spindle into its bearings, seid spindle with its pinion being removable through said tubular guard, substantially as set forth.

ln a centrifugal liquid separa-tor, the combination with the supporting frame, the separating bowl, the bowl spindle provided with a gear pinion, a, bearing in Which the lower end of the spindle is removably ournaled, and drive mechanism including a gear Wheel which meshes with said spindle pinion, of d bowl case detaohably secured to said frame, and a tubular spindle guard 'which is connected with the lower portion l5 of said bowl oase and is removable therewith from the frame, said spindle With its pinion being remoif'able through said tubular gti-rd7 substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand in the presence of two 20 subscribing Witnesses.

MATTHEW L. HOYT.

/Yitnesses GEO. W. BELLINGER, H. FELDMEIER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington. D. C." f 

